Bittersweet
by MidnightSuburbia
Summary: When things take a turn for the worst at Retroville High's annual talent show, and at the expense of Jimmy's life, Cindy seeks vengeance on the culprit... Eustace Strych. Do they all live happily ever after? JC angst.
1. Part I

Bittersweet

Written by: Krista A.

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Okay guys, this was just a story I wrote because I decided I hadn't written and posted anything on Fanfiction for awhile. It's just a warm-up for a HUGE chapter story I'm considering writing (this story doesn't have anything to do with the chapter story, though...). Tell me what you think, and remember to READ TO THE END. This is not a break-up fiction, don't worry. Just read and enjoy (I hope?). 

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Jimmy Neutron, or Hate (I really don't like you) by the Plain White T's.

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James Isaac Neutron, in the pitch black darkness, crossed from the wings of the curtains, to the middle of the stage. His pure white sneakers scuffed the floor of Lindbergh High School's stage in the large auditorium. From the audience, there was munching of the buttery golden popcorn, rustling of candy wrappers, and that annoying sipping sound when there's no more liquid for a straw to suck up. In his left hand, he clenched the neck of his newly invented guitar, made especially for this one occasion.

When Jimmy finally surpassed to center stage, he got in position, seperating his legs about a foot so he could hold his guitar properly, and placed the microphone near enough to his mouth for him to be able to sing.

He nervously waited, hand still tightly wrapping around the neck of the guitar, his palms sweating, knees locking, and trying to see if there was anyone familiar in the audience. There, right in the very first row, was Cynthia Aurora Vortex.

Jimmy's nervousness instantaneously was replaced with anger, vengence, and a scowl frightening enough to give the heeby jeebies to Death, himself. His palms no longer let out sweat, but loosened and re-tightened his grip on the guitar. He was assuming Cindy realized that it was him on stage by now.

From almost no where, the spotlight beam hit him, and he was temporarily blinded by the white and intense heat put upon his body. His breath became ragged, and he waited a couple seconds for his full vision to return. Finally, the blur of his vision caught on, and his vision focused once again. "Um," the mic screeched, and, embarressed, he tapped it and tried to stop the shrill noise. Finally, when the microphone finished its temper tantrum, he said confidentally, "This song is dedicated to my **_EX_**- girlfriend, who wanted to "see other people" for awhile. Enjoy."

_Love love love love love love_

_You were everything I wanted  
You were everything a girl could be  
Then you left me brokenhearted  
Now you don't mean a thing to me  
All I wanted was your  
Love love love love love love_

Cynthia Aurora Vortex stared up at her ex-boyfriend, heart pounding. Was this really happening? When she broke up with Jimmy, it was only for the sake of him being insanely jealous when she started going out with other guys. This wasn't supposed to happen. Jimmy was supposed to come back, but was this his way of waving her off?

_Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you  
Now that it's over  
I don't even know what I liked about you  
Brought you around  
And you just brought me down  
Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you _

_(I really don't like you)_

Jimmy, looking down at Cindy, was pleased to see that she was rather shocked. She should've known he would do something crazy. He continued to sing his heart out, all of his emotions just pouring into one single song, and every single word seemed to echo off into the auditorium. Any other human being in that single room seemed to dissappear to him, his only thoughts or concerns processing on the girl with blonde hair and emerald eyes in the front row. He was also ecstatic to know that this was the last time he would ever see her. Tonight, Eustace Strytch would come for revenge, and Jimmy would gladly let him have it.

_Thought that everything was perfect  
(Perfect)  
Isn't that how it's supposed to be?  
Thought you thought that I was worth it  
Now I think a little differently  
All I wanted was your  
Love love love love love love_

Cindy gripped the edges of her chair. What had she done? Was this really what Jimmy felt for her at that very moment? She could tell he was putting his heart and soul into this song. It was obvious he had spent hours of complicated work on that guitar, and the song seemed like he had practiced it so often, that it was natural. She watched as he strummed the blood red guitar glinting in the spotlight, a freshly painted atom symbol on the front. This was just all to tell her that he didn't care anymore?

_Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you  
(I really don't like you)  
Now that it's over  
I don't even know what I liked about you  
(Liked about you)  
Brought you around  
And you just brought me down  
Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you _

_Now that it's over you can't hurt me  
Now that it's over you can't bring me down_

What he played was somewhat right. At that moment, a firey course of hate ran through his very core, but his heart still cried out in pain and anguish. Did it really have to end this way? His gaze softened a bit on Cindy. Maybe it wasn't her fault that _he_ was so horrible, or that _he_ was a menace to the town. But soon, that would be resolved. She'd never have to deal with the boy whom possessed a largely deformed head, and that caused the town so much ruckus.

_Oh... oh... oh... oh oh oh  
Oh... oh... oh... oh oh oh_

_All I wanted was your  
Love love love love love love_

_Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you  
(I really don't like you)  
Now that it's over  
I don't even know what I liked about you  
(Liked about you)  
Brought you around  
And you just brought me down  
(Hey!)  
Hate is a strong word  
But I really really really don't like you_

_I really don't like you  
I really don't like you  
I really don't like you_

As Jimmy beautifully put an end to his song, the whole audience stood and clapped, hooted and whistled. Cindy, too, stood up, but tried to look over the heads of many-a-people. Unfortunately, this would not do. Cindy contorted her body to bend and weave her way through the electric audience. "Jimmy!" she screamed. No responce. She finally made her way to the front, but he had already bounced off stage, guitar in hand. She followed, just barely managing to get past the crowded audience.

Jimmy swung open the exit door, and Cindy sprinted and forced the door open for herself as well. A cold stream of air rushed across her body, feeling like knives cutting into her unprotected face. A lightening bolt flashed from above, and then a loud 'BOOM' echoed throughout the murky, gray sky.

"Jimmy!" she shouted again. This time, he snaked his head around his shoulder to look at Cindy, his ocean blue eyes going wide, and he completely stopped in his tracks.

"Cindy, what are you doing here?" he sputtered, taking a step back. Cindy could tell that he quite frankly didn't want her around. "You shouldn't be here right now, Vortex!" At that sentence, she placed her hands upon her hips, glaring crossly at him. She raised an eyebrow in question.

Snarling venomously, she asked, "And why not?" Just as she uttered that question, a red flash was seen, and before she knew it, she was pushed forcefully out of the way by Jimmy, and onto the cold, hard asfault. "Neutron, what the hell-?" she cut herself off when she saw Jimmy laying in a mangled heap, smokey clouds lifting from his body. Cindy could smell it... burnt flesh. It was horrid, so putrid, that she nearly vomited. Not only was it burnt flesh, but it was that of Jimmy's own.

Cindy tried to run over to him, but quickly tripped, her ankle twisted from the push. It didn't matter because, she would do anything to get to Jimmy. Crawling on the concrete, she dragged herself over to her love, pulling his head up into her lap and shaking his shoulders gently, his hole-clad shirt ripping a bit more. "Jimmy, wake up... _please Jimmy, **wake** **up**_!" she nearly shouted these words, and a lump created itself into her throat in the middle of her sentence, making her mouth go dry.

She looked over to where the red laser was fired, and there was Eustace strytch, quickly escaping in his robotic tripod.

Cindy looked back down at Jimmy, and his eyelids were slowly lifting open, showing those gorgeous, fantastic eyes she thought she'd never get to see again. "Jimmy," she gulped, trying to swallow the huge lump, "are you going to be okay?" Every word was sugar coated in pure concern. From above, a cloud let a tear drop, and it landed on Jimmy's beautifully pale, milky smooth face.

"Cindy, I want you to know I don't hate you, okay? I've never actually hated you, and I never will..." his voice was straining to get his last few words out. Finally, coming out as his last exhale, he whispered, "I love you..." Just as that last word was uttered, Jimmy's wonderful sapphire eyes that were lit with fire seemed to extinguish, and they slowly faded to nothing. From her own eyes, tears seemed to run down her face in hot streams, but no one could see her tears, because the rain began to pummel the earth below, and Cindy whimpered and curled over Jimmy's form.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Jimmy, but I love you, too..." Cindy looked up to the sky, clutching Jimmy's now lifeless body to her chest, and she screamed in futility at the heavens, "You took him away from me!" she screamed, her whole body wracking with sobs, "I'll never forgive you..."

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AN: Okay guys, remember that this was just a warm-up I was doing for feedback. And also, if you want a Part II to this story, say so IN YOUR REVIEW. Thank you for your time! 


	2. Part II

**Bittersweet- Part II**

By: Krista A.

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**Philip the Great:** The story's odd, huh? I guess I'm just an odd person. By the way, you think that was a sad ending? Eh. This one might change your mind. And yeah, I know the story went a bit fast. Again, it was late, I was high off of candy. Don't hurt me.

**badwolf1:** Thanks! And you can be the judge of that.

**MysticLady3:** I'm afraid he's dead, but wait until you read the VERY ending. You'll get the hint.

**acosta perez jose ramiro:** Thanks! Let's just say Eustace gets what was coming to him.

**XxDoCxX:** ... xD

**retroville9:** Well, only because you asked. )

**snowboarder9:** Like I said, change of human emotions ( I should know this type of stuff; I'm a girl). You can completely "hate" someone one minute, forgive them the next.

**jimlover54:** It wasn't that random, was it? Eh. Well, he sung it because, at the minute, he was pretty mad at her. That would explain why he said he loved her afterward. He realized that he was dying and told her the truth.

**kikkikiwii:** Thanks! And unfortunately for you, I like stories with sad or bittersweet endings. They appeal to me. But I do occasionally like happy endings, and I'll be writing some soon (hint, hint).

**starrlightstarbrite:** Aw, it did? Thanks! That's what I usually do. Each time I write a story, I try to make it better than the last. It's my goal.

**Gamergirlv:** Heh, thank you.

**The Viking:** ...Yes, I'm weird like that. Thanks for your comment!

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**_Author's Note:_** I felt inspired. I went to go see "Stranger Than Fiction." One of the BEST movies ever. I highly reccomend you watch it. My friends thought it was boring, but the script is pure genius, and so is the person who wrote it. So thank the movie for Part II, or otherwise, it would've been delayed another...one or two weeks. One more thing: Thank you for ALL who reviewed, and as promised, here is part II.

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The sky was a torrent of darkness and depression, the wind an unsettling ghost, moaning and howling past thelonely figure of a girl. Her golden hair billowed and danced around her pale, tear-stricken face. Quiet as a mouse, she whispered, "Jimmy... where have you gone? Why did you leave me?"

The soft, velvety grass below carassed the palms of her hands as she sat on the old stargazing hill. She and Jimmy had come here numerous times before, and for hours they would lay back and relax in the cool grass, staring in awe up at the shimmering stars. Lovingly, they would glance at one another, whispering sweet words and fogetting time.

Now, the only thing left there was remorse and pain. Memories ripped and tore at her broken heart, shattering the very innocence of her soul. There was no Jimmy here to help in this time of panic. Perhaps killing Eustace would not be as easy as she percieved it to be. Then, remembering how just one good shot with Eustace's laser sent Jimmy to an early grave, she growled in anger, and decided she would have her revenge. No matter what the cost.

Suddenly, Cindy heard crunching behind her, and she quickly drew her weapon from the inner pocket of her snug black jacket. From the shadows emerged her best friend, Libby, who had her hands up in a defensive mode. "Chill girl, it's just me." Cindy quickly let a puff of air escape her mouth, sighing in relief. "You thought I was Eustace." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Libby lowered her gaze to the glinting gun Cindy was holding, and her mellow face reverted to one of a worried mother. "Don't tell me you're actually going to go through with this!" Libby said, kneeling beside Cindy and placing her hand to Cindy's shoulder.

Brushing Libby's concerned grip from her shoulder, she coldly retorted, "I_ will _avenge Jimmy's death. Nothing will stop me; especially not my own best friend." Libby looked at Cindy, whose gaze was somewhere off into the distance straight in front of them. Hatred, pain, and torment were the only thing she could distinguish through Cindy's eyes. Libby began to let loose a string of protests, but Cindy cut her off, "I thought you were fine with the idea!" she gritted out angrily.

Libby stood back up and stomped her foot. "I never suggested you KILL Eustace, Cindy!" and as she said this, she looked down at her damaged friend, who simply returned an empty stare. Libby snatched a few deep breaths, and began to speak again, "But, if you really think this is the only way..." she kneeled back down to Cindy's position, "I brought something for you to use. I thought he might come in handy."

Cindy cocked an eyebrow, curiousity being the only new emotion she had shown from the recently attired. "He?" she asked. Libby nodded, a small smile gracing her face. Taking two fingers and placing them in her mouth, she let out an ear-shattering whistle. A 'whoosh'ing sound of propellers was heard, and the abandoned mechanical canine by the name of Goddard appeared from the sky, settling himself in front of Cindy.

Cindy gasped and squished the dog to her chest. Goddard was possibly one of the last things she had left of Jimmy, besides her precious memories. How could she have forgotten him? Goddard looked up to her sympathetically. Even though he was only a machine, he knew emotions, and the loss of his beloved Master had left him alone to the silence of the once energy-filled lab. Hugh and Judy could not bear to look at Goddard without bursting out crying, and quickly scurried him out of the house.

Lightly, at that precise moment, the ground began to shake. It was soft at first, a vibration, but quickly became louder and more violent, jerking Cindy and Libby around. Sensing Eustace had found them, Cindy quickly averted herself into a fighting stance. "Libby, run!" Cindy ordered.

Libby rolled her eyes, and simply replied, "You're nuts if you think I'm going to leave you here to fight all by yourself!"

Before Cindy could get another word in, the giant metal contraption that was Eustace's Tripod came marching forwards, flattening trees with it's long, tentacle-like legs. "Ah, Cindy, what a delight to see you again!" he stated sarcastically, smirking like he had just done the best thing in the world.

Lips curling into an angered snarl, she growled out, "Eustace!" He laughed just as a maniac would, bringing his hands to his face in delight. "I see you still haven't gotten that counseling," Cindy barked. Eustace's smile was replaced instantaneously with a frown, and he scoffed, pressing a button which sent a firey red beam towards Cindy. She easily dodged the death device, giving her own triumphant laugh. "Looks like old dogs really don't learn any new tricks," she yelled, referring to the beam he had launched upon Jimmy, and she added something she knew would fire him up, "Blazer Boy."

Expression turning dark, Eustace brought up one of his tentacles and attempted to smash Cindy as he brought it down. "No one, I repeat; NO ONE, calls me Blazer Boy!" he hissed. Cindy rolled her eyes at another one of his feeble attempts.

Looking out the corner of his eye, he just had noticed the African American girl, glaring up at him. "And what have we got here?" he asked half-heartedly, using the claw of his tentacle to lift her off of the ground. "Why look, it's our dear friend,_ Libby_," he said, ecstatic that he had something to work with.

Cindy's fists clenched, and she screamed in loathing, "Put. Her. DOWN!" Cindy couldn't bear the thought of someone else close to her dying. Eustace's lips turned upward, showing his large buckteeth. Realizing that he had just found her weak spot, Eustace flung the tentacle a bit to the right, which sent Libby flinging forward, and she just barely managing to keep her back from snapping. Grounding her teeth, she shouted, "If you don't stop, I'll..." but Cindy trailed off.

Eustace smirked at this. "You'll... what? What are you going to do to me, Cynthia?" he let out a disgustingly horrific laugh, and flung Libby to the left that time. With each new fling of Libby's body, Cindy became more shaken up, her own body quivering. She thought, _'What would Jimmy do if he were here right now?' _

Grounding her teeth together, she outwardly proclaimed, "Think,_ think, **think**_!" Just as those words exited her from her mouth, a purple light flashed when she closed her eyes. Images passed by randomly through her head, so fast she could barely see them. First was Libby, comforting her on the hill, then there was Goddard flying down from the sky, and the final image was Jimmy knocking Eustace over with his overly sized telescope. Cindy's eyelids flew opened, and her eyes flashed in determination, her lips curling into a confident sneer as she glared at Eustace.

"Brain blast..." she whispered, satisfied.

Questions racked through her brain, though. Had the power of her love for Jimmy given her the inspiration? That, but it had almost felt as if Jimmy had guided her throughout the process. As if... he had been there all along, supporting her all the way. '_Wherever you are right now, Jimmy... thanks.' _And maybe it was just her, but she thought she could hear a faint _"You're welcome..." _float across the breeze.

Heart filled to the brim with a warm sensation, Cindy had a burning passion to give Eustace a taste of his own medicine. Running over to Goddard, she skeptically asked, "Do you keep any spare rope?" In responce, Goddard barked out a reply, and the metal box of his body opened up with a mechanical hand reaching out, a coil of rope limply hanging from his fingertips. "Good boy!" she rewarded him, patting his head.

She was grinning by the time she looked back up at Eustace, who was just about ready to launch another attack. "Are you ready for payback, Blazer Boy?" Eustace's face turned beet red with boiling anger, his nickname once again appearing. Cindy laughed at his stupid looking expression, sprinting over and around the Tripod while he blasted his laser, not aiming, but just shooting in blind fury. As his final beam sounded, Cindy did a backflip over to one of the tentacles, and quickly tied the tightest knot she could form around it.

"What in the bloody hell are you-?" Eustace started. He didn't even have time to finish his sentence before Cindy had tugged at the leg, almost immediately making it unbalanced. The Tripod began to wobble and shake, before finally tumbling to the ground, indenting itself into the dirt and sending dust flying. Coughing all the way, Cindy climbed up to the outstretched tentacle which held Libby.

Reaching a hand up to seperate the claw holding Libby, Cindy asked, "Are you alright?" They both slid down the side of the Tripod, hunched over and clutching their knees, taking deep breaths. Peeking over to look at Cindy, her eyes sparkled in thanks. "I'm bruised, sore," she paused to wipe her face and look at the dust, "and dirty..." she laughed a bit, and continued, "But I think I'll be fine." Just as Libby finished replying, a glass-shattering noise was heard, and Eustace crawled out from the Tripod, muttering curses under his breath the whole way.

Cindy glanced over to Libby, suddenly a stone-cold expression settled upon her face. "Excuse me while I go take care of some... unfinished business." Tromping over to the bloody Eustace, Cindy pulled him up by his collar, letting him gag for a couple seconds. Disgusted, she threw him to the ground. "Now listen, and listen good..." Cindy said, stepping on his neck, but not enough to break it. Just enough to prevent air from getting to his lungs. "This is for anyone you've ever hurt," she said motioning to her foot on his neck.

Continuing, she punched a blow to the side of his face, bruising his eye in the process. "That's for everytime you've betrayed me!" Then, kicking as hard as she possibly could, she hit that one area no guy likes to_ have hit_. "That, right there, is for **_Jimmy_**!" she spat at him. And when he thought she was about to back off, she punched him in the gut. "And that... well, that's because I just don't like you."

Cindy dug through the inside pocket of her jacket, retrieving a glinting metal object. Eustace's eyes widened, and it was her turn to smirk. "Well, Blazer Boy, I wonder what I should do with this. Looks like the end of the line for you." Eustace's eyes narrowed. He new what was coming. Cindy fingered the cold, metallic object, taking her glorious time. And then, she smacked him upside the head with it.

As Eustace faded into unconciousness, Libby gasped. "Cindy, what are you doing? I thought the plan was to kill Eustace!" Cindy sighed at this.

"If I killed Eustace, that would only stoop me down to his level, and I'm sorry... but I just don't want to be considered Slime." Cindy turned to face the gorgeously glimmering stars. "Besides, there's only one bullet left." Libby gasped. "Libby, take really good care of Goddard, okay?" Libby ran over to Cindy and quickly grabbed her wrist.

Trying to find words to say, Libby stuttered out, "B-but Cindy, you can't! I mean, you shouldn't!"

Cindy slowly snaked her head around to look Libby eye to eye, her face expressionless, and her eyes hollows of madness. "I _have to_ go, Libby," she stated, untangling her wrist from Libby's stiff grasp and stuck the gun to her head. Cindy turned back to face the dark, windy night that flung her hair back, and a warm tear rolled town her numb cheek, creating a clean trail on her dirty face. "He's waiting for me."

Cindy pulled the trigger.

_Blood splattered from a wound, and a body hit the ground. _

_Birds from almost everywhere squawked and flew abound._

_With the whispering shiver of the wind, _

_and the curse of one fateful sin, _

_for at her very own devious hands,_

_Cynthia Aurora Vortex was dead._

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One dark skinned girl stood at the foot of two newly-dug mounds of dirt. Side-by-side two graves sat, and she stared sorrowfully at the embedded gravestones. Scanning the first one, it read:

_**James Issac Neutron**_

_Wonderful son, friend, and lover. The smartest kid to have ever been born. Kind and generous was his soul, his heart as beautiful as gold._

_He will be missed sorely. Let him forever rest in peace._

_March 14, 1991- November 7, 2007_

She kissed a red rose and placed it solemnly onto the grave. "For you, Jimmy, one of my good friends, and my best friend's secret love." Heart aching in pain, she read the next gravestone with a heated face, a lump collecting in her throat, and eyes which were welling up with tears.

_**Cynthia Aurora Vortex**_

_One of the most outstanding girls to have ever walked the earth. After Jimmy Neutron's murder, she seeked and gave her revenge, then only to die_

_at her own hands. Let Cynthia rest in peace, hopefully with her loved one. _

_June 4, 1991- November 10, 2007_

Libby sniffled a bit, and then she whispered, "Sorry I didn't bring you a rose, but I brought you something better..." Libby reached into her pocket and carefully picked out a glistening white pearl. "Those morons didn't bury you with the pearl Jimmy gave you, so I decided that someone had to." With a small, hand-held shovel, Libby dug a moderately deep hole, kissed the pearl, and dropped it into the fresh dirt. "Hope you rest in peace, girlfriend. I just somehow know you're with the guy you love. Give Jimmy a hug for me, okay?" and with that, Libby buried the pearl with her own bare hands.

As Libby began slowly pacing towards the exit, she felt that Cindy truly was at peace, wherever she was. Libby stopped walking, and glanced up to the bright, glowing sky. For that _one_ second, she swore she could hear the faint, joyous laughter of a boy and a girl blowing through the breeze, and across the rustling golden treetops.

The End

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Hope you liked Part 2. I will be making an **_epilogue_**, and if you want it, say so in the review. Just for future reference: the epilogue will include Jimmy and Cindy (actually, they're the only two characters in the epilogue). It will explain what happens to them in the afterlife. 


End file.
